From Sensation to Buddhi: The Path from Reaction to Realization
Introduction Every moment, life touches us through the five senses and the mind. The Buddha called this meeting “phassa ”— contact. Out of this single touch, an entire universe of experience unfolds sensation, feeling, emotion, awareness, and wisdom. Yet most of us collapse all of this into one word — feeling. We say, “I feel angry,” or “I feel anxious.” But anger is not a feeling; it is an emotion built upon a feeling, which itself arises from a simple physical sensation. When we learn to discern these layers, confusion turns into clarity, and reactivity turns into freedom. 1. Sensation — The First Touch of the World Sensation (phassa) is the body’s registration of contact. It is pre-verbal, neutral, and direct. It belongs to the form aggregate (rūpa) and arises through the meeting of sense base, object, and consciousness. Examples: - The sound of your name being called. - Warm sunlight on your skin. - The pulse in your wrist, the tightness before speakin...